Ben Jesup and I went out for a lunchtime walk to the National Mall with our visiting friend and co-worker Philip Kline.  As a light rain shower ended, the Mall was almost birdless.  Almost.  We had only one warbler on the entire walk, but it was a CONNECTICUT (a lifer for Philip, and only my second). 

The bird was just west of the WWI Memorial, initially seen walking on the ground beneath one of the low trees there (Ben half-joked "let's try and turn that into a Connecticut" before we saw it actually was one).  We ended up having fairly nice looks.  Everything about it suggested a first-year bird, not very yellow except under the tail, and the eye ring, while complete, was not very bright (thin and buff or yellow, not white).  It seemed to be loosely associating with a VEERY, further showing off the thrush-like qualities of the warbler.

A gnatcatcher, one flyover swift, and a nice Great Egret at Constitution Gardens were our only other migrants.

Jason Waanders
NW DC
jwaandersATstarpower.net